


The Best Practice Guide on Office (Relationships) Management

by edencomplex



Series: Paradigm Shift [2]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Mid-Canon, Office Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 05:30:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13427808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edencomplex/pseuds/edencomplex
Summary: Komui invites Bak over to look around New Headquarters but trying to get him alone is apparently easier said than done.





	The Best Practice Guide on Office (Relationships) Management

The first time Komui rings him after all the phones have been reconnected he uncharacteristically gets straight to the point.

“Bak-chan,” Komui’s voice crackled down the line, “We need to talk. Come over before that Central-sanctioned meeting gets underway tomorrow evening.”

“If you have something to say just say it,” Bak retorted, cradling the phone against his ear with his shoulder so he could dip his pen back in its inkwell and carry on with his report.

“I want to see you,” Komui said, soft and sincere, and suddenly there is a large splotch of ink on Bak’s papers. He scowled. Lousy pen.

“Fine,” he replied sharply, “I’ll be there. But if you try any funny business …”

“Bak-chan, I would never!” Komui exclaimed, his voice taking on that familiar teasing lilt Bak knew all too well, “I’ll even give you a personal tour of the premises so you don’t get lost!”

Bak flushed scarlet. “I don’t get lost!” he snapped at the mouthpiece, and slammed the phone back down onto its receiver.

For five seconds there was silence, and then the phone started ringing again. Bak made a face and picked it up.

“ _What?_ ” he demanded.

“I forgot the most important part,” Komui said seriously, as though the phone had just gone through a bad patch of reception and Bak had not actually hung up on him.

Bak pinched the bridge of his nose. “Which is…?”

“I love you, see you tomorrow. Bye!”

Bak opened his mouth furiously, the dial tone beeping in his ear.

“That man is the absolute _worst_ ,” he said to the room at large, scribbling furiously on the ruined report in front of him like he could salvage it.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Fou’s sleepy, disembodied voice echoed around him in reply.

And if the cleaners emptied out his wastepaper bin the next morning and found scraps of paper with hastily scrubbed out hearts inked around the pages at odd corners, well, they kept it to themselves.

 

* * *

 

In hindsight, Bak thought, he really should have known better.

None of the other Branch directors had received a so-called grand tour of the new Headquarters, at least not by the Head Officer himself, but Komui Lee had never done anything by the book in his entire life, least of all relationships, and he certainly wasn’t going to start now.

The man had all the subtlety of a brick wall, smiling brilliantly when Bak stepped through the Ark and fiddling with his glasses and his collar in such a way it suggested he would very much rather be doing something else with his hands.

Bak cleared his throat and adjusted his hat, aware that his cheeks were starting to prickle with heat. He turned his nose up a little and was inexplicably relieved when his voice did not waver, “Head Officer.”

Komui’s smile, if possible, grew even more brilliant. “Director Bak,” he replied warmly, clasping his hands behind his back and looking at him with such singular fondness that Bak was half-tempted to turn on his heel and make his way back to China. “You look well.”

“Oh, um. So do you,” Bak muttered, suddenly becoming very interested in the pattern of the tiles on the floor as an uncomfortable silence stretched between them. He could feel Wong’s eyes at his back, urging him silently to take the initiative.

Bak scowled and regretted ever confiding his relationship problems with his elderly retainer.

In fact, he was starting to regret ever confessing his feelings to Komui in the first place and was considering chalking his slip of the tongue to the debacle with the Level 4, which had left him hypersensitive to his own mortality to the point he had run his mouth off without fear of the consequences.

Komui, on the other hand, did not look uncomfortable at all. Quite the opposite really, considering he seemed contented enough to remain standing there smiling at Bak as though they did not have more pressing matters to attend to.

“I thought we could walk and talk,” he told Bak cheerfully, “To cover all our bases, you know? We can get started right away if you’re up for it.”

Bak opened his mouth to reply and then abruptly closed it again. Visions of getting pressed up against a wall in an empty corridor and kissed stupid while ‘I love you’s’ were mouthed against the curve of his neck were already plaguing his imagination and he wasn’t sure if he _was_ up for it.

“Er…”

“I’ll have your things brought to the Lodging House for you Master Bak,” Wong suddenly spoke up, more or less making the decision for him, his expression impassive when Bak whipped around to glare at him. “I believe it would be in your best interests to familiarize yourself with the outlay of this building before the meeting this evening at the very least.”

He had not said he would be taking Bak’s luggage to his room, because as far as Bak was aware visiting personnel hadn’t been assigned _any_ rooms yet. The Head Officer’s quarters on the other hand had already been set up weeks prior, and wasn’t that just peachy?

Bak pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at Wong, who simply bowed in the face of his mounting fury and embarrassment and stepped aside to let him pass. Oh, they would be having _words_ later.

“Fine,” Bak growled, stomping down the hall with no discernible clue as to where he was heading. “Let’s get this over with.”

Komui fell into step beside him, and did it not hurt his face to keep _smiling_ like that? Bak wondered. He’d even dipped into a gallant half-bow, teasingly offering Bak his arm. The cheek!

“Stop that,” Bak hissed, pushing Komui’s arm back down against his side. “Can you at least try not to be so obvi – _ah_!” he yelped, almost leaping out of his own skin when firm fingers suddenly tweaked his backside.

“ _Komui!_ ”

“Bak-chan~” the troublemaker parroted back at him, still grinning like Bak was the most delightful thing he had seen all week. “You’re going the wrong way.”

“I don’t care!” Bak blustered, rubbing his rear end and deliberately pausing so he could walk a few steps behind Komui to deter any further grabbing.

Komui hummed at that. “It doesn’t matter,” he said delightedly, “The first stop on this tour was going to be my office either way.”

Bak raised an eyebrow at that. “They gave you your own office?” he asked sceptically, “Is that wise?”

“I’m going to forgive you for saying that because you haven’t seen it yet,” Komui told him graciously, slowing down to a stroll to match Bak’s pace, “It’s got a great view. I think you’ll like it.”

Prior experience had taught Bak well that he would be a fool to trust those words, especially with the way the corner of Komui’s mouth crooked upwards into a slight smirk, but he was going to look like an even bigger idiot if he backtracked to look for Wong _now_.

“So long as this tour doesn’t end on top of your desk I think I might,” Bak retorted, and almost immediately regretted the words as they came out of his mouth. His cheeks pinked.

Komui paused and gave him a searching look. “It’s a nice desk,” he said slowly. “Very sturdy. Perfect you could say, for…”

“ _Paperwork_ ,” Bak said brusquely, cutting him off quickly enough that Komui looked a little surprised to have been interrupted. “I’ll just bet. No doubt you’ve been slacking since the move.”

“We have been pretty busy,” Komui agreed, which meant he wasn’t _denying_ it. Bak frowned at that, thinking about the backlog that was going to start building up on _his_ end as a result, and jumped a little when he felt fingertips ghost over his wrist.

“Ko …”

“I know, Bak-chan,” Komui replied, suddenly sounding desperately wistful as his fingers slid into the spaces between Bak’s and curled around his palm.

“I _know_ but it’s been _weeks_ and I’ve missed you and I would _really_ like to kiss you right now if you’ll let me.”

Bak swallowed hard, colour rushing hot and fast to his cheeks, and he quickly looked up and down the corridor as though half-expecting one of the guards from the Ark to come rushing after them at any minute.

“Here?” he asked incredulously, and prayed that his voice did not squeak, “ _Now_?”

Komui squeezed his hand a little, his thumb making soothing circular motions over Bak’s knuckles.

“Please,” he wheedled, looking at Bak with such hopeful earnestness that it made his stomach tie up in knots. “Just one?”

Bak pressed his lips together and breathed out carefully as Komui’s nose brushed against his hairline.

“It’s never just one kiss with you,” he whispered back wretchedly, pulling his hand from Komui’s grip so he could squeeze the firmly starched lines of the other man’s uniform lapels instead.

Komui grinned a little at that and ducked his head to press their foreheads together.

“You don’t have to kiss me back,” he said gently, reaching up to smooth Bak’s bangs away from his reddened face like he couldn’t look at him enough.

“I don’t have to kiss you at all,” Bak grumbled, leaning up on his toes a little to push back against Komui’s weight, which was starting to bear down on him.

Komui tilted his face and pressed his mouth against Bak’s cheek. “True,” he murmured, though his tone suggested he was unconvinced Bak would ever follow through on that bluff, “but it would mean the world to me if you did.”

“Hmph,” Bak scoffed, and turned his head against Komui’s shoulder, taking comfort in the cool press of engraved buttons against his red face. “Easily pleased, aren’t you?”

“You’ve ruined me completely,” Komui said lightly, his mouth warm and soft against Bak’s ear now. His hands had slid down over the curve of Bak’s hips and had settled just over the swell of his ass, where his fingers now tapped a teasing rhythm, “but I’d like to kiss you anyway, all the same.”

Bak clenched his fingers tighter around Komui’s lapels and tried to think of a million different excuses as to why this was a terrible idea. Blood was roaring in his ears, warmth bleeding down his neck and pooling in his chest. Then he made the made the mistake of glancing up and all the lies and protests died before they even reached his lips.

Truly, he thought, there had to be a rule _somewhere_ in the Order’s tenets that made it illegal for any one man to smile like that.

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip anxiously and sank back onto his heels, fully aware that he was dragging Komui down with him by his uniform jacket. Not that he seemed to mind, if the way his dark eyes were fixated on Bak’s mouth were any indication.

“Just … one kiss?” Bak said at last, so quiet that had Komui not already been leaning over him, he would have had to strain to hear him. The hands resting on his waist abruptly tightened.

“Just one,” Komui repeated, suddenly sounding breathless and Bak squeezed his eyes shut briefly as the tip of Komui’s nose brushed slowly over his own, one hand moving from its perch to cup the back of Bak’s head. “Cross my heart.”

 _I love you_ , said the voice in the back of Bak’s mind, and he startled a little to even think it now, when he previously hadn’t even dared to remember the day he had blurted those very words out in a fit of pique. On that day after the attack on old Headquarters, in a dark corridor completely unlike this one, when rain had been beating against the windows and the smell of death and disinfectant had hung in the air like a disease.

“I know,” Komui suddenly told him, smiling so brilliantly now that it made the corners of his eyes crinkle with laugh lines and Bak’s mouth fell open a little at the realization that he had just spoken aloud.

“No, I didn’t … that’s not what I …” Bak said faintly, suddenly feeling like his legs were going to give out under him as the prickling heat in his cheeks starting to itch and spread across his entire face, but Komui just grinned and pressed his lips to the corner of Bak’s mouth.

“I know,” he said again, reassuring and wonderfully _kind_ and Bak was going to hit him, he thought furiously, as Komui curled his fingers into Bak’s hair and tugged gently to get him to turn his face up.

He was going to let him have his one kiss, because Bak was a man of his word. Then he was going to smack that dopey grin off Komui Lee’s _ridiculous_ face and -

“There you are, Head Officer!”

\- promptly push him an arm’s length away with such force that it was a wonder his lip didn’t come away bleeding.

The adoring, indulgent expression on Komui’s face was gone now, replaced by a look that Bak could only describe as distraught as he turned to look over his shoulder.

Bak leaned over to glance around him, his eyebrows climbing further up his forehead as a stern-looking woman with a file folder under her arm turned a corner and came towards them.

“I realize that we are still getting to know each other’s work habits sir,” the woman said crisply as she came to a stop near them, “but I believe that it would be mutually beneficial to both of us if you would inform me where you are going _before_ you leave the office.”

“Yes, of course,” Komui muttered, glancing at Bak with an expression that said he was promptly going to forget she had ever said such a thing, and then turned around fully to face her, “My apologies, Ms. Faye.”

“Hmm,” Bridget Faye said, her pale blue eyes narrowed as though she were trying to laser a hole through her superior’s forehead, before her eyes slid over to Bak. “Forgive me, sir. Am I interrupting something?”

“Yes,” Komui replied, probably a little more irritably than he had intended.

“ _No_!” Bak exclaimed, cutting in front of him and hoping that his face wasn’t nearly as red as it felt. “No, it’s fine. We were just … the Head Officer was generously giving me a tour of the new facilities, Ms. ...Faye, was it?”

Komui made a small noise that sounded an awful lot like a badly disguised snort, and Bak stuck his hands in his pockets to stop himself from kicking his heel backwards into the idiot’s shin.

“That is correct,” Bridget replied, extending her hand to Bak, who shook it firmly. “I am Chief Komui’s assistant. It is a pleasure to meet you, Director.”

“Assistant?” Bak repeated curiously, glancing over at Komui in some surprise, but the other man seemed to be studiously looking at the ceiling and did not meet his eyes. “Wait, how did you know I …”

“We try to keep a record of the Ark’s uses throughout the day to prevent any … mishaps,” she told him, as uneasiness settled in the pit of Bak’s stomach. “And yes, I spent many years as a secretary in Central. When the move was confirmed it was agreed that I should step in to allow Section Chief Reever Wenhamm to focus his full attention on the changes made to the Science Department.”

“Ah,” Bak said in understanding, as the political machinations he had been suspecting clicked into place.

It made sense. Komui had not done himself any favours over the years by restricting Central’s reach within the Order itself, but he had always given them _results_ and so they had never taken him to task. It seemed that arguing to keep Allen Walker on hand as an Exorcist instead of a prisoner had been the straw that had finally broken the camel’s back.

By planting agents in the Order under the guise of strengthening their numbers after the last battle, they were sending out a pretty big message: ‘We’re always watching.’

Bak harboured no doubts that Bridget Faye was the best of the best, else she would not have been able to secure such a high position. Still, it had taken her a little more than an hour to both realise that Komui had escaped his office and then actually _find_ him, so she had obviously not yet mastered the knack of dealing with that infuriating man.

He briefly wondered if she knew what she was getting into.

“Best of luck to you then,” Bak told her, and meant it, thinking back to the way Reever had often complained in the past about how he would not wish his “babysitting” job on anyone.

“Thank you, Director,” Bridget replied, dipping her head a little in deference. “If you were wanting a tour of the grounds I would be more than happy to assign someone to help you find your way around.”

Bak startled a little at that. He hadn’t _really_ been expecting to be taken around new HQ at all if he was honest. He’d known it was a paper-thin ploy that Komui had constructed because they hadn’t spent any time together since the move, and he’d gone along with it anyway because … well. That wasn’t for Bridget to know anyway. The absolute last thing he wanted was Central getting wind of their relationship when it had taken so long to bear fruit.

He cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t want to trouble you…” he began hesitantly, unsure whether he should turn her down outright or accept her offer to keep up with this charade.

Wong had been right, even though he’d just been trying his hand at playing the insufferable matchmaker. Bak _would_ benefit from familiarizing himself with the layout of the grounds before he actually had to get to work and find his way around for real.

He glanced over at Komui out of the corner of his eye. Surely they could continue where they left off later?

“Yes, that _really_ isn’t necessary Ms. Faye,” Komui insisted, looking absurdly worried now, like he was afraid this woman was going to kidnap Bak right out from under his nose and they wouldn’t get to see each other again for _months_.

“Not at all,” Bridget said firmly, not missing a beat. “It’s part of my job to make sure that all visitors are seen to and properly taken care of. Just like how it’s your job to see to the paperwork that’s been sitting on your desk since _this morning_ , Head Officer,” she added, fixing Komui with a steely-eyed look of disapproval that Bak couldn’t help but admire.

Komui opened his mouth to argue that, brows furrowed together. “But…”

“You _also_ have an appointment scheduled with the Diplomatic Corps in an hour, sir,” Bridget added, flipping open her journal and scanning the pages, “and it would not do to be tardy given all the treaties that were involved to allow us to situate Headquarters’ new premises in the Mediterranean. I’m sure I don’t have to explain the current political climate to you, yes?”

“Ngh,” Komui said, wilting a little.

“To be fair Ms. Faye, I _did_ come here to discuss a few things with the Head Officer before the meeting this evening,” Bak pointed out, looking at Komui’s miserable face and feeling ridiculously guilty about it. “So if it doesn’t clash with any other appointments, mightn’t we…?”

“...Well I suppose the appointment with the Diplomatic Corps shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours,” Bridget mused, thumbing through her schedule, “and there is a period of free time after that before the next meeting.”

“It’ll do,” Bak replied firmly and staunchly turned his head when Komui beamed at him.

“Very well,” Bridget said, making a note to herself and tucking her journal back into its folder, “Now then Director, I’m sure we can find someone from the Logistics Department to help you get settled in, so if you would just follow me …”

“Thank you,” Bak told her politely, falling into step behind her as Bridget handed Komui a sheaf of papers on her way past.  

“Now these need to be read over and signed before your meeting with the Corps,” Bak heard her saying, “because Communications needs them stamped and delivered back to the East India Company by 4pm if we want to be able to collect our shipments by the end of the week. I will be returning to your office shortly if you need anything clarified. Is that clear, Chief?”

Komui sighed, taking the papers from her hand and skimming over the letterheads. “Crystal,” he muttered, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose as he read over the finely typed text.

Bridget inclined her head slightly. “Very good sir,” she said, and turned on her heel, no doubt expecting Bak to follow. “Shall we get started, Director?”

Bak shrugged his shoulders. “Lead the way,” he told her, feeling like he was just about to be led around a very old, prestigious museum.

He glanced back at Komui and tried to smile, though he didn’t think he did a very good job of it.

“Until later then, Head Officer.”

Komui looked up from the papers he had been frowning over, and the expression on his face told Bak that later couldn’t come soon enough.

“Later,” Komui mouthed back, and smiled the way he had when Bak had first stepped out of the Ark, his pinky finger catching and curling briefly against Bak’s own as he walked past him.

Bak pressed his lips together. It took a lot of willpower not to curl his fingers into a fist and cradle it closer to his chest after that.

 

* * *

 

Komui was just reaching the tail end of a stack of contracts when Bak threw the office door open and marched inside. He hurriedly scribbled his signature on the last few sheets of paper, sprinkled pounce over the wet ink and blew off the excess, where it fluttered away in a white cloud to land on the carpet. He was definitely getting scolded for that later.

“Bak-chan!” he exclaimed, grinning as Bak turned to shut the door behind him. Komui took the opportunity to toss the remaining contracts in his hand into his ‘out’ tray.

Bak leaned against the door and let out a long, heavy breath as though he had run all the way here.

“Are you _sure_ that woman is your assistant?” he demanded.

Komui blinked at him owlishly, halfway to a standing position as he got out of his chair. “Yes? Why do you ask?”

Bak narrowed his eyes, turning the doorknob and peeking out into the corridor like a criminal on the lam.

“She’s wasted on you,” he said shrewdly. “I think she knows more about this damn building and its history than the architects themselves. I never want to hear about the Gothic Revival movement again for as long as I live.”

Komui’s grin widened. And here he was thinking he’d got the short end of the stick these past couple of hours.

“Are you saying Ms. Faye would be better off in an architectural firm?”

“I’m _saying_ you had better watch your back or your assistant might replace you,” Bak retorted, still peering outside. “Speaking of which, you haven’t seen her have you?”

“She’s down in the Third Science Division,” Komui replied, coming around his desk and leaning against the edge. He looked at Bak, amused.

“Section Chief Barrows apparently wants to have a talk about procuring bathing essentials for the staff. He seems to think we’re suffering through a shortage.”

Bak wrinkled his nose, but he finally shut the door. “Oh thank god,” he muttered darkly.

“Did she show you the fountains?” Komui teased, “The centrepieces were carved from Italian marble.”

Bak’s hand tightened on the doorknob. He scowled.

“You know what? She didn’t,” he said flatly. “Maybe I’ll go take a look right now, since I’ve got all this free time until the next meeting and _nothing better to do_.”

He put his back to Komui and made to open the door again but Komui leapt forward, jumping around the couch. He grabbed Bak’s wrist in his hand.

“No, don’t go,” he whispered frantically, dropping his forehead against the back of Bak’s head and tightening his grip on his hand. “I was only kidding. Please stay.”

He felt rather than saw Bak’s fingers curl into a fist.

“I didn’t come here to gaze at fountains and admire architecture,” he told Komui very quietly.

“I know,” Komui replied, just as quietly, slowly tugging Bak’s hand down until he crossed them over his chest and let Komui envelope him in a warm hug.

They stayed like that for a long minute, rocking gently back and forth until some of the tension in Bak’s shoulders disappeared and he sagged back against Komui’s chest, drumming his fingers thoughtfully against the other man’s knuckles.  

“Your office isn’t that great,” he said at last, in such a tetchy, dismissive tone that Komui smiled.

“You’re just saying that because you don’t know what the best part is yet,” Komui whispered, his lips curving against Bak’s ear, but that just made him frown even more.

“The view?” Bak demanded, taking Komui’s wrists in his hands and half-turning them around so he could look at the large windows behind his desk and the sea sparkling in the distance.

He scuffed the floor carefully with his boot. “The fact that the carpet hasn’t been completely covered in paperwork yet?”

He looked up at Komui’s delighted face suspiciously. “Please don’t tell me there’s a hidden passageway behind one of the bookcases and you’re the only one who knows it exists.”

“No, no and no,” Komui sing-songed, covering Bak’s eyes with his hands and kissing the top of his head. “You’re overthinking it. The answer’s right in front of you.”

“Komui, can we not …” Bak sighed, though he seemed to have no trouble shuffling back to his original position and reaching out with searching fingers.

“There’s nothing in front of me except this … this …”

He trailed off, and then he moved to peel Komui’s hands off his face, meeting his grin with a hard, exasperated stare.

“The door? Really?”

Komui beamed at him. “Isn’t it great?”

“It’s … certainly door-like,” Bak replied slowly, and jerked back a little when Komui shook his shoulders.

“The command room didn’t even _have_ a door!” Komui said enthusiastically. “It was hardly even a room. You couldn’t get a lick of privacy!”

“And yet you still managed to sneak away and disappear for hours on end,” Bak pointed out, peeling Komui’s hands off his shoulders. “I don’t know what kind of trust the higher-ups suddenly have in you, but I really doubt this is going to improve your productivity …”

“Bak-chan,” Komui said very patiently, curling his fingers over Bak’s and squeezing his hands. “Doors have _locks_.”

“Of _course_ they have locks,” Bak said irritably, his patience wearing thin, “Honestly, you’re acting like you’ve never seen a door before in your -”

Komui didn’t wait for him to finish. He lifted Bak’s hand, spun him around, put his palm flat against the small of his back and kissed him full on the mouth.

Bak’s stomach swooped immediately, as though he had just taken a dive off the highest tower. He pushed Komui away, his face aflame.

“What are you _doing_?” he exclaimed, his voice pitched slightly higher than normal as his fingers tightened in Komui’s uniform.

“Are you crazy? What if someone walks past and - ah.” He trailed off, his eyes growing round as both realization and embarrassment dawned on him.

“And _that’s_ the best part,” Komui told him, sliding his hands down to settle on Bak’s hips and walking them backwards until Bak was flush up against the double doors. He nosed Bak’s cheek.

“You said you only wanted one kiss,” Bak protested, his gaze suddenly razor-sharp and focused on Komui’s grinning mouth.

“I lied,” Komui replied cheerfully, pressing his lips against the outline of Bak’s jaw. “May I please have another?”

Bak hesitated. He pursed his lips.   

“There’s no one here,” Komui said soothingly, nudging their foreheads together as he leaned down into Bak’s space. “It’s just us. Can you believe it? Do you know how many times you came into the command room over the years and I _just_ … wanted to hold you and kiss you and never let you go? It was torture.”

A cool hand touched his face, tucking his bangs behind his ear.

“Torture, huh?” Bak retorted, want so evident and raw in his expression that it took Komui’s breath away, “I think I know what that feels like.”

Then he smiled, open and warm, till it dimpled his cheeks and Komui couldn’t take it anymore.

This time when he kissed Bak he felt deft fingers in his hair and the press of calloused palms against his cheeks and finally, _finally_ it was like getting to breathe fresh air again after weeks of holding his breath.

 

* * *

 

Komui only knew two things about his desk. Firstly, that whatever he put into its drawers seemed to disappear into a mysterious wormhole never to be seen again and secondly, that it was craftedted mahogany. Logistics had tried to explain it to him once during the decorating phase of the move, about how they had scrapped his old desk and replaced it with something that was much more befitting of his position, but he’d only been half-listening.

He sorely regrets his past indifference now, because as far as desks go this one is _great_ and he’ll probably never be able to look under all its layers of paperwork again without getting a painfully embarrassing hard-on.

“ _Komui_ …”

Bak had no idea of course. _He_ was doing a charming little wiggle on top of the perfectly polished wooden surface in a bid to keep himself upright, beautiful shapely legs hiked up around Komui’s waist with his pants and boots in a pile on the floor.

“Who even needs open office plans,” Komui whispered reverently, stroking patterns on Bak’s hip with his thumb as he leaned down to press an open-mouthed kiss against the flat plane of his belly. “Doors are the _best_.”

“No point having a door if you don’t fucking _lock_ it,” Bak hissed, raking his hands through Komui’s hair as lubed fingers continued to push in and out of him. “Please tell me you remembered to lock the door.”

Komui paused at that, looking absurdly comical with Bak’s cock halfway in his mouth and his eyes wide. He glanced at the door, shrugged and lowered his head, burying his nose in soft blond curls.

Bak scowled at that and pinched Komui’s earlobe. “I’m going to kill you,” he said dangerously.

Komui lifted his head again, laving a long, wet stripe from the base of Bak’s cock to the tip, feeling gratified when toes curled against his sides.

“No one will come in,” he insisted, kissing the head as he hooked his fingers against Bak’s prostate and gave him a dark look. “No one who would leave this room alive, anyway.”

Bak swallowed hard at that, his cock twitching slightly. “You’re terrible,” he whispered, sinking back against the cool varnished wood and not resisting when a hand cupped the backside of his knee and spread his legs wider, kissing the inside of his thigh as he did so.

“I love how this little talk of ours is going,” Komui teased, tilting his head a little to pillow it against Bak’s knee, smiling a little lopsidedly at the askew buttons on Bak’s work shirt. “I’m so glad you agreed to come before the meeting. If we’re lucky we might even miss it entirely.”

“You’ve got some nerve,” Bak said, his voice hitching a little as Komui pushed himself forward to kiss his way up his chest, sighing and arching his back as teeth set gently against his neck. Bak drew their lips together then, slowly, his hands tight in Komui’s hair, the gentle caress of kisses completely at odds with the rush of hands on hips, on thighs, on his cock and on his ass.

“Someone’s going to walk through those doors and they’ll know _exactly_ what happened here, meeting or no meeting.”

“And yet you’ve never been harder,” Komui cooed, pecking Bak on the lips and delighting in the way the rosy flush on his cheeks darkened. He massaged Bak’s balls gently with his fingers.

“I think you _want_ to be caught, don’t you Bak-chan?”

“Of course I don’t want to be caught!” Bak blustered as Komui slid back down the length of his body and lovingly nosed the head of his cock. “Least of all by your assistant!”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” Komui said breezily, wiggling his finger into Bak’s foreskin and swirling it around the head to spread the slickness dripping from his slit.

“Reever’s far more likely to burst in on a random spot check than she is.”

“Just because we’ve been caught by him before doesn’t make me feel any more comfortable!” Bak snapped, gritting his teeth and grabbing at Komui’s wrist to get him to stop teasing.

“Let me do you on my desk, Bak-chan,” Komui wheedled, kissing Bak’s thigh as he stretched his entrance with his thumb. “Please? It’s brand new. Help me break some of this furniture in properly.”

“Not until you lock the damn door,” Bak repeated, squeezing Komui’s wrist tighter as he pulled himself up into a sitting position and crossed his legs, barring Komui from his prize. “Take it or leave it.”

Komui tried to summon up the urge to pout at that, but for the life of him he couldn’t stop smiling. Bak was naked from the waist down but he looked resplendent, straight-backed and authoritative even though he was pink all the way down to his toes.

Bak frowned back, eyebrows raised, and Komui managed to look him in the eye for one hot second before he gave up entirely and just fell to his knees, pressing his face against Bak’s legs.

A fist came down immediately to knock him gently atop his head.

“ _Komui_ ,” Bak said again, sounding completely exasperated now, pushing Komui’s face away with the flat of his palm when kisses started trailing across his calves. “I’m not kidding.”

“In a minute,” Komui promised, privately hoping Bak would take mercy on him and uncross his legs so Komui could put his face back between his thighs and finish what he’d started.

“Komui, I swear I am this close to …” Bak hissed, and then abruptly trailed off, his entire body going rigid under Komui’s hands.

Komui leaned back, concerned, and rubbed Bak’s knee. When the other man didn’t respond to his comforting gesture Komui opened his mouth to ask him what was wrong, only to get a hand slapped over his mouth.

Bak pressed a finger to his lips impatiently. He seemed to be listening hard for something. Komui’s brows furrowed together as he strained his own ears, his fingers curling possessively over Bak’s knee.

His office clock ticked. There was a pause.

Then Komui watched, hypnotized, as his door handle gave a little creak and seemed to swing downwards, like a guillotine in slow motion.

An odd expression passed over Bak’s face, somewhere halfway between murderous and triumphant, because god only knew Bak loved nothing more than being _right,_ and Komui realized he only had a few seconds to fix this.

He leapt upwards, pulled Bak with him, then put both hands on his stiff shoulders and shoved him unceremoniously under his desk.

There was a loud ‘thunk’, probably Bak hitting the back of his head on the underside, though the curse that followed was distinctly muffled because Komui had hunkered down and thrown Bak’s pants and boots in after him immediately after.

Komui sank down hard in his leather chair and pushed his hair out of his face, and not a moment later his door opened a crack and a hooded figure peeked inside.

“Oh! Chief you’re here,” his surprise guest said hesitantly, “Is this a bad time…?”

It was a Finder that Komui did not recognize. First Bridget and now this? It seemed like the whole Order was out to stop him from spending time with Bak, no matter how unintentionally.

There was a sharp kick to his leg.

Komui glanced down, pretending to get something out of one of his drawers.

“You’re dead,” Bak mouthed, scowling up at him and oh, if looks could _kill_.

“Of course not,” Komui said smoothly, shooting Bak the most apologetic look he could muster before he closed the drawer and folded his hands on top of his desk. He fixed the Finder with his most approachable smile.

“What can I do for you?”

The Finder shuffled into his office as though he’d get in trouble for tracking dirt in with him, clutching a sheaf of papers tight to his chest like a lifeline.

“Well the 26th Squad’s investigation into the phenomena surrounding the stone circles in the Hebrides has been concluded, sir … and uh, we have our report if you wanted to …”

“Summarise it for me,” Komui told him, turning his attention back to the surface of his desk and rearranging some of the papers in front of him. He was careful to keep his expression neutral, which wasn’t easy because Bak had just pinched him on the ankle to alleviate some of his frustration.

Komui stretched and wiggled his slipper off, pushing Bak further under his desk with the heel of his sock-clad foot. Iron-like fingers grabbed at his leg and pulled him uncomfortably closer to the edge of his desk. Komui wheezed, slightly winded and motioned at the Finder to keep talking.

“Just getting comfortable,” he said aloud, and then almost toppled over entirely when he felt teeth on his knee. “ _Please_ ,” he added tightly, “Continue.”

The Finder jumped, a little startled and started flipping through his notes. “Oh! Yes, right. So, um … we were looking into a local legend about a mysterious figure called the ‘Shining One’ …”

Komui smiled and leaned back in his chair so he could continue looking like he was paying attention and still glance under his desk. He raised his eyebrows very slightly at Bak and hoped his expression would convey the rest.

 _Did you just bite me_?

Bak glared at him something awful, his cheek pillowed against the side of Komui’s thigh, then he turned his head and bit him _again_ and Komui was powerless to stop him because Bak had clearly pre-empted such a response and had wound his arms tight around Komui’s legs, locking him in place.

His hands at least, were still free, so Komui dropped them carefully off the table and into his lap, tousling Bak’s hair.

Bak shook his head a little at that, scowling, but then his sharp eyes looked up at Komui from under thick, golden lashes and something in Komui ground to a sudden, screeching halt.

 _Ah_.

He snatched his hands away and hurriedly folded them back together, inching his chair closer to the desk. He nodded at the Finder in all the right places and prayed he wasn’t the kind of man who started pacing up and down the room during a speech, or he’d definitely see …

Then Bak groped him hard between his legs and Komui almost had a heart attack. A tiny sound escaped him.

The Finder looked mildly confused. “Is something wrong, Chief?”

“Just a little sore,” Komui replied quickly, stretching his arms above his head and hoping he didn’t sound too manic, “Being cooped up in this office all day is really doing a number on my back.  Keep going.”

He dared another glance downwards. Bak was smirking now, the gleam in his eyes positively wicked as he moved his fingers, stroking Komui through his pants.

“If you insist,” he whispered, so quietly that Komui wasn’t sure if he had actually heard him or if he’d just moved his lips.

Komui swallowed hard and gripped the armrests of his seat. Payback had never seemed so daunting.

It was like he was underwater; suddenly whatever the Finder was saying to him sounded a million miles away compared to the sound of Bak leaning forward into his lap and unzipping his fly with his teeth. Komui stared at the clock on the wall behind the Finder’s head and tried to focus on its ticking hands as Bak moved down inch by torturous inch.  

He reached for his paperwork and frantically spread it in front of him so it looked like he was taking notes, though his pen still slipped a little sideways and tore through a page when his cock sprung free.

Bak went very still, his breaths slow and measured, and Komui had to fight down the flush rising to his cheeks because he _knew_ he was staring, looking at how hard Komui was and how his erection had not even flagged in the slightest this entire time.

And then Bak moved, pushing Komui’s legs further apart with his hands so he could settle himself between them. He nosed the head of Komui’s cock, pressed a kiss against his hot skin, and swallowed him whole.

Komui jolted and breathed out hard through his nose. He ducked his head and stared at the documents in front of him, but the words may as well have been written in code. He felt his legs lock, his knees squeezing hard against Bak’s sides, and he dragged his hand down his face, pushing his glasses up to rub his eyes.

He needed to ground himself.

“Yes, fine very good,” he said suddenly, probably a lot more loudly than he had intended, because the Finder backed up like a trodden-on cat. Bak was bobbing his head now, tongue moulded against the thick vein on the underside of Komui’s cock as his fingers curled around the fabric of his pants for purchase. Komui steepled his fingers together and inhaled deeply.

He cleared his throat. “Forget about the Hebrides for a moment,” he told the Finder, proud to find his voice only had the slightest waver to it. “Tell me what’s happening on the mainland.”

“The … the mainland, sir?” The Finder asked, looking thrown, like Komui had just dealt him a surprise question in an exam. “I don’t … my Squad wasn’t stationed at …”

“Yes, but all the squads communicate with each other on and off of the field, surely?” Komui asked, immediately feeling guilty for putting the man on the spot like this but it was getting harder and harder to concentrate with each passing moment.

Bak made a breathy sound of amusement against his cock, the vibrations travelling all the way up his spine and making him shiver. Komui pressed his fingers harder together and despaired over the fact that he couldn’t look down without giving the whole game away, especially because it only seemed to make him more hypersensitive to each touch.

The Finder blushed scarlet and started babbling, no doubt listing off every rumour from the Scottish Highlands that had passed his way while Komui mentally counted from three hundred to zero backwards in Cantonese and tried not to squirm.

He could feel Bak shifting around as he sat up a little higher, pushing more of his upper body between Komui’s legs and into his lap, holding the base of Komui’s cock firmly in one hand to steady himself. He hissed out a breath as Bak released him from his mouth, moving back at a sadistically slow pace before surging forward again and going to town. He had one hand fisted in the fabric of Komui’s pants, like he was torn between yanking them all the way down and needing something to anchor himself.

Komui wondered if Bak was touching himself. God, he hoped so. It wouldn’t be fair if just one of them went to pieces over this, but it had been so _long_ and Bak looked so _good_ curled up on Komui’s brand new Persian rug under his brand new desk sucking him off like it was a punishment and nothing would delight him more than seeing Komui’s perfectly professional composure crack.

“Did you … did you want all of this in the report too, sir?” the Finder finally asked, and it occurred to Komui that he had probably been staring at the man without blinking for longer than what was probably polite and he was getting increasingly concerned.

“Excellent idea,” Komui said brightly, tapping his fingers in a manic little rhythm as Bak nibbled the head of his cock and swirled his tongue under his foreskin. His chest heaved. He was going to die here and they’d barely been in the building six months.

“Rewrite the whole thing! I’m sure Section Chief Reever will be delighted.”

Bak stroked gentle circles on the underside of Komui’s knee with his spit-slicked fingers, his nose buried against Komui’s crotch to hide what felt like a badly disguised snort of laughter. It was the most affectionate he had been during this whole torturous affair and Komui wanted to cry.

The Finder’s face puckered in confusion as he looked at his report and then back at Komui like he wasn’t sure he’d heard him right.

“The _whole_ thing? But sir, I don’t think …”

Then Bak pressed a hard kiss against the sharp angle of Komui’s hip as he hooked his wet fingers up under Komui’s balls and _inside him_ and that was the final straw.

He slammed the palm of his hand down on the table loud enough that both Bak and the Finder jumped slightly backwards in alarm.

“The whole thing,” Komui replied stiffly, because he knew if he moved even slightly now he would come and Bak would never let him live it down.

“Don’t sell yourself short. Every little bit of information you can think to add is important. This could be a big breakthrough for us so don’t hold back.”

The Finder was clutching his report to his chest again, looking both inspired and somewhat terrified, so Komui could only imagine what the expression on his face was like.

“I, yes sir…!” he said breathlessly, inching backwards, half-nodding as he went. “Of course! Thank you! I … we won’t let you down!”

“I have complete faith in you!” Komui called after him, “And tell everyone else I won’t be taking any more reports today! Terribly busy, you know how it is. Please shut the door on your way out!”

The Finder left, still chattering ‘thank you’s’ and Komui’s praises as he went and Komui sat stock still for a further minute, listening to the door handle clicking back into place and the Finder’s footsteps heading back down the corridor before he sprang into action.

He planted his feet on the floor and shoved his chair backwards so hard he was amazed the whole thing didn’t tip over. There was a soft ‘pop’ as Bak released his cock and then he was laughing, a full deep-bellied chuckle that made his face look about ten years younger, and any other time Komui would have stopped to admire it, but he was scrambling, his socks slipping on the hardwood floor as he stepped off the carpet, half pulled his pants back up and leapt for the door like a man possessed.

The locking mechanism turned easily under his fingers and then finally, truly, they were alone.

Komui sank back against the door and covered his face with his hands. He let out a long, heartfelt groan.

“Aren’t locks great?” Bak said conversationally, getting up off his knees and propping his elbows on Komui’s desk as he leaned over it, still smirking, “Where would we be without them?”

“Ha!” Komui crowed, still feeling slightly manic as he ran his hands back through his already awry hair. His cock was tenting his trousers now, having been unceremoniously stuffed back into its confines and showed no signs of going down anytime soon. He shook his head, breathless.

“And you call _me_ terrible,” he told Bak, striding back towards him. “I was this close to having you on this desk right in front of that man, you know that right?”

“Of course you were,” Bak retorted, hoisting himself up so he could sit, bare-assed, on Komui’s desk and continue grinning at him like he had just won some big unspoken game, “I think you and I both know that it’s not _me_ who gets off on being caught.”

Komui gaped, momentarily caught off-guard, and then Bak was kissing him again, grabbing Komui’s lapels hard in his fists and dragging him closer like the last thing on his mind was letting go.

It was unbearable. Bak kissed him like he was drowning and Komui was air, his arms winding so tight around him that Komui had to move with him or be forced to let go. They lay there on the desk, completely tangled around each other and finally, _finally_ Bak let him up to breathe.

Komui listed to the side, trying and failing to push himself up on his elbows. They stayed like that for a moment, nose to nose, and then Bak smiled in that awkward, honest sort of way he did when he was delighted about something but wasn't sure he ought to be, and Komui almost forgot his own name.

“You’re an infuriating asshole on the best of days,” Bak told him, his hands curling in Komui’s hair as his cheeks flushed pink with pleasure, “but god help me, I love you.”

Komui stared at him, realized that unlike his earlier confession Bak’s mouth and brain were now on the same page, and then promptly blushed scarlet so quickly his glasses felt cold on his cheeks.

“Likewise,” he managed, and didn’t care that he was smiling so hard it hurt.

It was all a bit of a blur after that; Komui didn’t think he’d fumbled this much while prepping a partner since he was a teenager.  

Bak wasn’t being helpful in the least, arching up under him trying to kiss his neck and grab at his hands while he was scrabbling with the lube, still looking infuriatingly pleased with himself and whispering, “Now you’re absolutely sure you locked it properly, right?” against Komui’s ear, only relenting when Komui kissed him firmly on the bridge of his nose and slid inside him.

“Well it’s too late now,” Komui told him, and was rewarded when Bak just made a face and hooked his ankles behind his back to draw him in deeper.

Komui tried to find purchase by holding on to the edges of his desk but his fingers were too slippery and he kept losing both his grip and his rhythm. So he held on to Bak instead, who was warm and solid beneath him and had just knocked Komui’s in-tray to the floor when he spread his legs, papers fluttering down to the ground like a cloud.

Bak winced. “I’ll pick that up later,” he promised, and groaned when Komui gave a particularly hard thrust, apologies dying in his throat.

“Don’t you dare,” Komui told him roughly, palming the flat plane of Bak’s belly with his hand as his shirt rode up higher with each rocking movement. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”

Bak gave him an odd look, planting his hands on the desk like he was trying to push himself up into a sitting position, and then knocked the remaining few sheets still clinging to the edge onto the floor as well.

Komui shuddered.

“You’re such a mess,” Bak said, sounding both incredulous and exasperated as he linked his fingers behind Komui’s neck and drew him down for a kiss.

Komui ducked his head and nuzzled the space between Bak’s neck and shoulder, relishing in the moans muffed against his uniform jacket and the tightness of fingers tracing shapes down his spine.

“Keep going,” Komui urged him, “Knock the lamp off next. Scrape the varnish off with your nails, anything you say or do _will_ be recorded for future fantasies to tide me over till your next visit.”

Bak paused at that, his eyes searching Komui’s face.

“Oh,” he said quietly, and then, “Why wait until the next meeting? Now we have the Ark I could … I could come back tomorrow.”

Komui stared back at him, his eyebrows climbing up his forehead. Bak managed to hold his gaze for all of two seconds before he cracked, and then angry red blotches were sprouting up all over his scowling face.

“I mean I could but I _won’t_ ,” he blustered, his fingernails suddenly digging uncomfortably into Komui’s skin and his legs tightening around his middle like sex was suddenly out the window and he had to break Komui’s body in half to save face.

“You get in enough trouble when I’m not here as it is, the last thing I need is to get blamed for distracting you and your assistant doesn’t look like she takes kindly to -”

“ _Stay_ ,” Komui said suddenly, cutting Bak off before he worked himself up into a state.

Bak looked at him like he was mad. “ _What_?”

“Stay,” Komui insisted, cupping Bak’s face in his hands and rubbing at his itching cheeks, “If Wong hasn’t dropped your bags off in my room then I’ll eat my hat. You could … hang around a few more days. Ms. Faye hasn’t showed you _all_ the grounds and, well … we still have loads more to talk about, right?”

Bak was silent at that, though he released his claw-like grip on Komui just a little. He was still bright red and for a moment Komui thought he would refuse, say that he had too much of his own work to be getting on with when Bak hid his face in his shoulder and said in his smallest, most irritable voice,

“I kick in my sleep.”

Komui let out the breath he was holding, and it came out as a laugh. He cupped the back of Bak’s head and kissed him hard on the temple.

“I cling to people like a burr,” he confessed, feeling so full of warmth he felt he might burst, “We’ll work something out.”

 “Okay,” Bak whispered back, and he held on tight to Komui like that for the remainder of the afternoon, making little noises against his shoulder that could have been moans or the softest little ‘I love you’s’ as Komui continued to rock into him at a slow, almost leisurely pace and kissed him in every spot he had missed the whole time he had been gone.

For today at least, they had all the time in the world.  

 

* * *

 

“So, I heard that big meeting you had with Central has been rescheduled,” Reever said conversationally, when he showed up at Komui’s office door the next evening at midnight, looking haggard and carrying a large encyclopedia-sized report under his arm.

“Well there’s so much still going on after the move,” Komui replied easily, signing off on the stack of documents in front of him and putting them aside, “I figure it can wait until we’ve all settled in a little more.”

“Whatever you say Chief,” Reever remarked, in the sort of tone that suggested he wasn’t convinced in the least but knew better than to argue. He inclined his head towards the pile of papers on the floor that ringed Komui’s desk and raised an eyebrow.

“Trying to get that old, home-y feel in your brand-new office, sir?”

“Hm?” Komui blinked and then leaned over in his seat to glance down at what Reever was looking at. His expression didn’t falter.

“Oh those,” he said dismissively, and straightened up again, “Don’t worry, I’ll get around to it. Though while we’re on the subject of things not being where they should …”

He pointed his pen at the report Reever was still carrying. “What on earth is that and what is it doing here? I want no part in it.”

Reever rolled his eyes and put the report down on Komui’s desk. “Funny story that,” he said sarcastically, “We had a Finder rush down to the First Division yesterday saying he needed to amend his report to include as much detail as possible. I had to set two interns on the job to transcribe all his babbling.”

Komui smiled at him, the picture of innocence. “That is a funny story,” he replied, “I’m sure you’ll have a great time reading through it. Don’t let me stop you.”

Reever grinned back at him; it wasn’t a nice smile. It was the grimace of a man who hadn’t slept in three days and wasn’t feeling generous in the least.

“Nice try, Curly. Where do you think I’ve been all day? I’ve done _my_ part looking over this report, now it’s ready for _your_ comments.”

Komui gave him a wounded look, but when Reever didn’t relent he let out a gusty sigh and dragged the report towards him. It felt like a brick between his hands.

“ _Fine_ ,” he said long-sufferingly, putting his pen down and pushing his seat back. “I suppose I am in the need of some _light_ reading before bed.”

This time both of Reever’s eyebrows went up. “ _Bed_?” he repeated incredulously. “ _You_? I thought you’d more or less set up camp in the labs and you were only using that room for storage.”

“Oh I was,” Komui said breezily, “but Bak-chan’s threatened to kick me out of my own room if I don’t at least show my face and you know how persuasive he can be.”

Reever held up his hands and backed up. “Say no more. I’m too tired to deal with this. Do what you want, but if I find any questionable stains on that report tomorrow then _you_ can rewrite the whole damn thing.”

“Sweet dreams!” Komui called after him teasingly as Reever shot him a rude hand gesture and shut the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone Komui immediately pushed papers aside and pulled his phone towards him, dialling through the internal line to his room. He twirled the cord around his fingers and looked at the report, eyes shining when there was a ‘click’ and the other phone picked up.

“Hi honey! Are you still awake?”

“ _Barely_ ,” Bak’s grumbling voice crackled down the line. “Where are you? You’re _late_.”

“Packing up!” Komui promised him, sweeping papers to the side with his hand as he leaned back and shut a few more drawers with his foot, the phone cord pulled tight as he wheeled around. “Are you in the mood for some fun?”

“ _No_ ,” Bak said, sounding like he had just put his head under a pillow and had dragged the receiver with him.

“Don’t be like that!” Komui replied cheerfully, “Listen, I’m coming right over and I’ve got a report, a red pen and a whole plate of breakfast muffins with your name on them.”

Bak went quiet. Komui grinned, counting down on his fingers.

“You’ve got ten minutes,” Bak said at last, “Those muffins had better be warm and if you want so much as a handjob later you’ll not make any sympathetic noises while I’m critiquing.”

Komui gasped, leaning back in his chair as he clutched his heart. “How can you say that, Bak-chan! You know how hot I think it is that you’re tough but fair.”

Bak made a derisive sound at that. “Just get over here,” he replied, his voice frustrated but warm. A pause. “And stop _smiling_. I swear to god I can _hear_ you doing it.”

“I love you too!” Komui called down the line gleefully as Bak hung up on him. He put the phone down and grabbed the report, spinning out of his chair.

The Order wasn’t an ideal place to kindle a relationship by any means, but they had come this far and that surely had to count for something, right?

Komui touched the corner of his desk as he went, smiling quietly to himself as he headed for the door.

They would make this work.

 

-

-

-

 

**END.**

**Author's Note:**

>  **The Shining One:** A legend in the Outer Hebrides (Scotland) about an entity that emerges on midsummer morning to walk among the Callanish Stones, heralded by the call of the cuckoo. Definitely the kind of story that the Order would send Finders to investigate in case it was Innocence, I think. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I originally planned to have this out by Christmas 2017 but life got in the way so here it now and I hope you enjoyed it! I'm starting to think 10K is becoming a standard for most of my komubak fics.


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